Suntory Museum of Art
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Notable Works
Writing box with scenery of Mt. Ogura in maki-e

Notable Works

Lacquerware

Writing box with scenery of Mt. Ogura in maki-e

Important cultural property

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Artist: Igarashi School
Number of components: 1
Dimensions (in cm): W. 22.8, D. 25.5, H. 4.2
Date of production: Muromachi period 15th century

Black lacquer has been applied to the whole surface of the writing box. The mountain range and the scenery at its foot are depicted in the raised maki-e (takamaki-e) and burnished maki-e techniques (togidashi). The shading is expressed with bluish gold, sprinkles of fine and coarse gold dust, and scatterings of small pieces from sheets of gold or silver foil (kirikane) on the rocks. Sumiyoshi-taisha Shrine is depicted on the inside of the cover using the kanagai (metallic nacre) technique of cutting thin sheets of metal into decorative shapes and setting them in lacquer. The water dropper is fashioned in the shape of a rabbit. The interior of the box shows maple leaves and a raft in the waters of a flowing river. The scenery with Mt. Ogura, Sumiyoshi-taisha Shrine, and the Tatsuta river references a waka poem. With its lyrical expression of the desolate landscape using techniques developed at the time, this is a masterpiece among medieval writing boxes.

Notable Works

Writing box with scenery of Mt. Ogura in maki-e

SUNTORY MUSEUM of ART